The color Pink dominates the display of the 'Barbie' collection at a Zara store's shopping window in Madrid, Spain, 20 July 2023. The brand's collection, which is inspired by the fashion doll of American toy company Mattel, Inc., is presented on the same day of the premiere of the movie 'Barbie' in Spanish cinemas. EPA-EFE/Javier Lizon "Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created," Zara said in a post on its Instagram account.
That account had seen tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while "#BoycottZara" was trending on messaging platform X. Critics said the images resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza.
"Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone," Zara said. Six posts showcasing the campaign were scrubbed from Zara's Instagram page.
Zara said at the launch of the collection on Dec. 7 that it was inspired by men's tailoring from past centuries. The photos appeared to show an artist studio with ladders, packing materials, wooden crates and cranes, and assistants wearing overalls.
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Kirsten Donovan)